‘Jeopardy!’ Champion Brennan Lee Mulligan Leaves Upcoming Contestants Confused With Final Wagering Strategy
Brennan Lee Mulligan knows what it takes to win Jeopardy!, but his attempt to teach the next generation of contestants one of the game’s most important betting strategies quickly turned into a comedy of confusion.
The Jeopardy! YouTube Edition champion recently sat down with three upcoming contestants to explain how to approach the high-pressure Final Jeopardy! round. His advice was designed to help them maximize their chances of winning, but the increasingly complicated explanation left at least one contestant on the verge of tears.
Brennan Lee Mulligan Shares His Winning Strategy
Mulligan made history by competing in the first-ever Jeopardy! YouTube Edition alongside Rebecca Black and Monet X Change. Although he did not know the correct response to the final clue, he entered the round with a $2,800 lead.
His wager proved decisive. Mulligan bet $2,401, putting $1 more than Monet X Change’s total on the line, and finished with $5,599 to secure the victory.
Now, the champion is passing on his knowledge ahead of the show’s second volume, hoping to prepare its newest contestants for the strategic decisions that can determine the outcome of a close game.
The spinoff returns on October 22, featuring content creators Angela Giarratana, Michelle Khare and Mythical Chef Josh Scherer. All three will compete for prize money benefiting their chosen charities.
In an Instagram post published on October 19, Jeopardy! introduced the coaching session with a playful question: “Brennan wants the contestants to soar, but how will they score?”
The post explained that Giarratana, Khare and Scherer had been invited to sit down with reigning champion Mulligan before taking the stage named after the late host Alex Trebek for Jeopardy! YouTube Edition Vol. 2.
Xem bài viết này trên Instagram
A Simple Formula Becomes a Head-Scratcher
Mulligan began by explaining a familiar strategy for Final Jeopardy!: when trailing the leader, a contestant must carefully calculate their wager based on the scores and the amount their opponent could lose.
Giarratana attempted to follow his explanation, starting with the phrase, “$1 more. Then, the next…”
Mulligan stepped in to complete the thought, explaining that the strategy involved doubling the next-highest score. To make the calculation easier to remember, he condensed it into a simple-sounding formula: “Double the score, $1 more.”
The explanation initially appeared to click for Giarratana, who repeated the phrase. Khare, however, still seemed to be struggling to make sense of the strategy.
Mulligan then introduced another layer of complexity for contestants who are not in first place. He explained that they must also consider what happens if the leading contestant answers incorrectly and loses their wager.
His expanded formula was: “Double the score, $1 more, minus their floor.”
That additional calculation left Giarratana looking visibly alarmed. Mulligan attempted to help her remember the rule with another playful phrase: “Bet, I implore.”
Giarratana tried to repeat the instructions but became tangled in the wording. Rather than making the lesson easier, Mulligan added another joke to the mix: “The dragon will come when it hears the drum.”
Contestant Admits She Is Overwhelmed
The increasingly elaborate explanation proved too much for Giarratana, who openly admitted that she was struggling to keep up.
“I’m gonna cry,” she said, before adding that she felt like crying and throwing up. Her fellow contestants attempted to reassure her as the coaching session continued.
The moment offered a humorous preview of the pressure awaiting the trio when they step onto the Jeopardy! stage. While knowing the correct response is essential, Mulligan’s lesson highlighted how wagering strategy can be just as important when the final scores are close.
Whether the contestants can put his advice into practice remains to be seen.
Viewers can find out who comes out on top when the 20-minute episode of Jeopardy! YouTube Edition Volume 2 premieres on Thursday, October 22.
Jeopardy! YouTube Edition Volume 2
Premiere: October 22, at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
Where to watch: YouTube
